Use of a passive lumbar back exoskeleton during a repetitive lifting task: effects on physiologic parameters and intersubject variability.

Objectives. This study evaluated the effects of wearing the Laevo v2.56 exoskeleton (Laevo, The Netherlands) on physiological parameters related to working load and metabolic cost (MC) during a lifting task, explored the variability in exoskeleton performance among users and determined whether perceived discomfort negatively correlates with a reduction in MC. Methods. Twenty participants completed a 4-min repetitive lifting task with/without the exoskeleton. Respiratory gases, heart rate, blood lactate and ratings of perceived exertion and experienced discomfort were collected, and MC was calculated. Results. Wearing the exoskeleton significantly reduced MC and oxygen uptake during the lifting task by 4.8 and 3.8%, respectively. Workload reduction occurred in 65% of the participants. Conclusion. The Laevo v2.56 exoskeleton reduced MC and workload in a repetitive lifting task in a subject-dependent manner. Future studies should focus on identifying factors that could cause performance variability such as user-robot interaction forces.